5. In my master’s dissertation there is a chapter about the V.H.T. method, which begins with a review of the authors who provide a theoretical background for the method. Firstly I examine the framework proposed by Schepers (1994), which relates aspects of human ethology with different aspects of communication science, and science of education with different areas of psychology; references are also made to other authors considered relevant. Then I proceed to a theoretical contextualization, which begins with aspects of communication pragmatics (Watzlawick, 1967), and covers examples of family communication (Lange, 1983; Kelley, 1983 and Hawkins, 1988), characteristics of parent-child relationships (Threvarthen, 1989; Schaffer, 1984 and Schaefer, 1980), and parent-child relational disorders (Schaffer 1977, and Paixão, 1988). Finally I look at attempts to approach these aspects by means of video (Dowrick 1991 and Threvarthen 1989), and the importance of working with parents is broached. There follows an analysis of the socio-political context that gave rise to the V.H.T. method in Holland, which is integrated into the regional, mobile intervention programme HOMETRAINING. The methodology itself is described: its origin, organization and institutions involved; adoption within the country and abroad, both quantitatively (number of regions and professionals involved) and qualitatively (target population and flexibility of aims); staff training; application criteria; therapeutic, pedagogical, social and economic objectives; and its practice: basic assumptions, directives, charts (for the analysis of basic communication), and procedure (which takes place in four stages, namely evaluating the reason for referral, taking the decision, the intervention itself and follow-up). Finally I weigh up the advantages and disadvantages of the application from a cultural perspective. At the end I draw some general conclusions about the method, in the form of topics surveyed in the literature on VHT, and in some theoretical references referred to in the conceptual framework. I also comment on the advantages of using video in this area of work.

4. In 1994, starting at middle of March, I applied V.H.T. to 4 families selected according to criteria mentioned above. It proceeded at a rate of approximately one session a week, for the first five weeks. Then there was a week's pause for the supervision session in Holland (made by Guy Schepers from ORION) and a seminar in Israel. In the next two months, V.H.T. was applied at two-or-three-week intervals with three of the families, (since one of the families had arrived at a terminus at the end of May). When the intervention was completed, the 4 families were retested, and I returned to Holland for further supervision and a final evaluation of the work done. This was done in September / October 1994, and continues as follow-up. In this second semester of 1994, results were analyzed and all the theoretical and practical research was recorded in my dissertation. Besides I did VHT with 2 families from clinical work and 4 children during consultation with me.

3. In 1993, I compiled all the information available on the subject, and attempted to relate it to a Portuguese cultural and scientific context in a study presented at the Faculty of Psychology and Sciences of Education, University of Coimbra. This study was entitled 'VIDEO-HOMETRAINING: Exploration of a New Method of Family Intervention for Pedagogical and Relational Problems', and was done as part of the subject 'The Family and the Education Process' of the Masters course, supervised by Drs. Ana Paula Relvas at University of Coimbra and at Coimbra and Dr L.T. Van Der Linden at the University of Amsterdam. In the first semester of that year, I collected all possible materials, studying the literature available and requesting copies of the most recent studies done in Holland. This included information about family intervention in general, the use of video in psychological intervention, and VIDEO-HOMETRAINING in particular. I also contacted the institutions that would be involved in the practical application, and obtained a sample of accompanied children from allergy clinics at the Paediatric Hospital, aged between 7 and 12, who were living with their parents in the district of Coimbra. The second semester was spent in Holland, witnessing the V.H.T. method in action. I participated in all the stages of intervention, in the training of the people who administered the intervention, and in the administration.

2. Over the next two years, I maintained contact with Holland through Drs. Van Der Linden, and learned of significant changes that had taken place. Some literature had appeared (still scarce, and theoretically superficial) but a beginning; moreover, the organizations which had initiated the method embarked upon research aimed at readjusting some of its characteristics and principles in order to respond to different real-life situations with the necessary flexibility.